LifeLines
by Jessica Firebird
Summary: Harry Potter. Ronald Weasly. Hermione Granger. These three met long before their Hogwarts days. They met in their past lives. Now, as Lord Voldemort rises to power once more, they have to travel back to their past lives and keep history from repeating...
1. Realization

  
LifeLines Part 1- Realization  
  
Author's Note: Hey everyone. My second fic, I kinda gave up on my idea before. (If you remember, I said my second fic was going to be "Where Are The Yeaterdays That Worried You So?") It would be really long, and it's hard to write. Maybe I'll go back to it, maybe. Anyway, this fic is going to be long, and I mean long,maybe 4 or 5 parts. Updates won't be as often as I'd like them, cause school starts soon. (Dumb homework.) Enjoy! I rated it PG for now, but the other parts might be PG-13. This chapter is mosty a talking chapter. kinda boring right now, but gets better later.  
Disclaimer: I own the plot and the other names that aren't in Harry Potter. The HP names belong to J.K Rowling.  
  
It was another snowy day at Hogwarts. Harry Potter got out of bed and stretched. He looked over to the bed next to him. Ron had gone downstairs already. Harry wondered what time it was. He went down to The Great Hall for breakfast. Ron was there with Hermione and they were both fighting over the copy of The Daily Prophet. "Why don't you get your own copy? You can read when I'm finished with it!" Hermione said. "Come on, let me look at it for one minute!" Ron whined. "Hi guys." Harry said, sliding down in an empty seat. Hermione tugged and the copy of The Daily Prophet got free from Ron's hands. "Hey. What's up?" Ron said. Hermione was busily reading her newspaper. She alternated reading and eating bites of toast. She flipped over to the front page. "Oh not much. I'm just tired. I stayed up late trying to finish that Potions essay." Harry said as he poured a glass of juice and started to eat a bowl of cereal. Hermione gasped and dropped a piece of toast on the floor. "Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god." Hermione said. "Hermione what's wrong?" Ron asked. She just showed them the front page. "VOLDEMORT RISES AGAIN. MINISTRY IN PANIC" Was printed on the front page. "Listen to this: Reports are coming from all over the country side that wizards and witches have seen Dark Marks and other disturbing things that have a connection to the Dark Arts. About six muggles and 5 wizards have been killed in the last 48 hours. The Ministry of Magic has told all wizards and witches to keep on a extreme guard." Hermione read off the front page. She sighed and folded up the paper. "But my scar doesn't hurt yet." Harry said. "Yeah, but that just means he isn't around here yet. He's still alive, and he's still going to kill again." Ron said. "I wonder if Dumbledore heard yet." Hermione said. "Are you kidding? He probably was the first to hear about this." Harry said. He looked up to the High Table. Dumbledore was conversing with the other teachers and they were all nodding and whispering. Dumbledore stood up and he made sparks shoot out his wand to get everyone's attention. "Attention, everyone. Settle down, settle down. We have just heard that Lord Voldemort has risen and has killed 5 wizards already." He said grimly. Some of the students gasped. "From now on, no one is allowed to go off school grounds. Quidditch practices will take place in the school, and so will Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology classes. If anyone sees anything suspicious, come directly to one of us. For today, Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology classes before Lunch will gather in here. They will be free periods, but you must stay in the Great Hall. Now, you all may go to your classes." Dumbledore said. Everyone stood up and walked back to their common rooms to get books. "Great! We have Herbology first today!" Ron said. "That's good. We just have to get our books." Hermione said. They finished eating and gathered their books up. Then they ran back down to the Great Hall and sat with their Herbology class. Professor Sprout was no where to be seen, so everyone was just chatting and hanging out. "This is really, really bad. This is horrible." Harry said. "Well, at least we know he isn't anywhere around here, right Harry?" Ron said. Hermione was scratching the back of her hand. She looked down and screamed. "What? What?" Harry said. He looked at the back of her wrist. There was a mark on the back of it. "It a sort of skull and flames." Harry said. "Well, we should get her to Dumbledore. It could mean anything." Ron said. Hermione was shaking; she was almost ready to faint. "Am I a dark witch?" She said. The three of them headed for a door. "Of course not, you would be in Slytherin right now." Ron said. "And just where are you three going?" It was Professor Sprout. "We have to get her to Headmaster Dumbledore, Professor. She has this thing on her hand." Harry explained. Hermione showed her hand. She gasped. "Oh, okay. Go right ahead and go straight to his office." She said. They ran to the office and said the password. The door swung open and they ran up the stairs. Ron knocked on the door. "Come in." Dumbledore said. They walked in. Dumbledore was talking with Professor Mconagall. "Professor, look at this!" Hermione said. She held up her shaking hand. The mark was still on her hand, and it was bright red. Drops of blood were beginning to form in the spots where the flames were. "My god." Professor McGonagall said. She scribbled a note on a piece of paper and handed it to Harry. "Quickly, go to the library and show this to Madam Pince. She will give you the book and come right back here. The book is in the restricted section, but tell her I sent you. Now go!" Harry sprinted down to the library, clutching the note.   
  
"Harry, what are you doing here? You should be with your class!" Madam Pince said as he ran into the library. "McGonagall, sent me. I need a book, in the restricted section, please!" Harry said, trying to capture his breath from sprinting down the stairs. He handed her the note. "Hmmm, this seems to be in order. Come on, I'll take you to get the book." She said. Harry followed her and they went into the restricted section. She took a candle and looked for the book. Harry was still a little freaked out, after what happened before. He was really worried about the mark on Hermione's hand. They walked to the darkest part of the section, when Madam Pince stopped walking. "Ah, here we go. This is the book we're looking for." She said. The book had a cover that didn't look that old, but drops of blood spotted the cover. She handed the book to Harry. "Go back to Dumbledore's office right away." She said. "Thank you!" Harry said as he ran back to the office.  
  
"Professor, what does this mean?" Hermione asked. Her hand was spread on the table and drops of blood were leaking onto Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore had gone downstairs for a second; he had to get something. "Well, I'm sure I saw this before. That's why I sent Harry to get that book. You see, every new aliment or mark that appears on witches or wizards has to be recorded. If it doesn't reappear in a certain amount of time, we take it off the record. This mark appeared around the time Voldemort rose to power before-" McGonagall said. "What? Am I dark witch?" Hermione asked. "Of course not, you're in Gryffindor, right? So, you can't be a dark wizard!" She said. The door banged open and Harry came in. He was gasping for air. He put the book on the desk, and fell in a chair. Dumbledore came back in also. He had a little bottle with him. "Well, it took me a while, but I convinced Severous Snape to make this for me." Dumbledore said. He sat down in the chair right across from Hermione. "What's that Dumbledore?" Ron asked. Professor McGonagall was pouring over the book, frantically flipping pages. "My dear boy, this is a potion that was once used years ago, when Voldemort was ransacking houses and killing innocent people." He replied. Ron paled. "I've found it Albus!" Professor McGonagall said. "Good work!" He said. "Now, Hermione, when did this first show up?" McGonagall asked. "Just now. I was sitting with our Herbology class and we were waiting for Professor Sprout. I was scratching the back of my hand, and then this appeared." She said. "Okay. Harry, Ron? Will you two please come over to my desk?" Dumbledore said. The two looked at each other and stood up. "Put your hands on the desk." He said. Ron and Harry obliged. Dumbledore poured a bit of the potion on the back of their hands. He rubbed it in. In a split second, two other marks appeared on their hands. On Ron's hand was a skull and a tiny heart on the side. It wasn't very big, but noticeable. On Harry's hand there was a green mark. "The Dark Mark!" Hermione said. Both of their marks were spotted with blood. "All of you, sit down." All of them sat in chairs while McGonagall was reading the book. "I'm sure you all have heard about Lord Voldemort, correct?" Dumbledore said to them. All of them nodded. "Minevera and I have reason to believe that the marks that have appeared on your hands have something to do with it. In this book, are all of the new marks that appeared during Voldemort's reign. These three marks appeared on three other witches and wizards that worked for him." He continued. "According to what we know about the dark arts, you three may have been those witches and wizards: In your past lives. The marks are turning up again, because he's at full power again." McGonagall said. "But why didn't they appear before?" Ron asked. "We really don't know." McGonagall said. She walked over and showed then the book. "In this book are the three people who possessed these marks before. And the picture of the mark is next to their picture. Hermione, a witch named Cassandra Livingston had this mark. She was dead three days before the first attacks began." She said. Hermione paled, which was remarkable, seeing as how pale she was already. "Ron, you might have been someone named Stephen Richardson, he died a few days after Cassandra did. Harry, you might have been Jonathan Warner; he died the day before the first attacks were launched. We might need this information, but we will need your help. All of you." McGonagall said. "What do you mean?" Harry asked. "Well one of the things we know is that one of those three had the power to defeat Lord Voldemort. But he/she was killed before he/she could launch an attack. So, we need the three of you to go back to your past lives and find out how to defeat him." She said. "What? How can we do that? I thought you told me that wizards can't go back in time." Hermione said. "They can't, but you can go back to your past life and watch it, but not be able to affect it. This is a very dangerous task, but we really need your help. Of course, we will take all precautions, and only if you three agree to this." McGonagall said. "If we do this, is there a chance we'll die?" Ron said shakily. "Yes, a there is a chance. If you are still watching your past life, and your past self dies, you will die also. We can bring you back only by potion. If you were to just try to come back by yourself, there is a chance that your past self will die, and so will your chance for a future for yourself, the next time around." She said. "We will only do this if you agree. Understand, if this is successful, we will be able to halt the attacks and kill Voldemort once and for all." Dumbledore said.  
"What would we have to do?" Hermione said. "You three will take the potion, that is in this book. The potion will warp you back to your past lives, but you will not be able to control anything there. What was done, was done. After an amount of time, or when we think your lives are in danger, we will give you another potion and you will return, with memories intact." He said. All three looked at each other. "We will give you time to think about it." McGonagall said. She scribbled three notes. "Give these to your teachers the next time you see them. You have the rest of the day off to think." She said. "Thank you." Harry said. All three went back to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
"I'm cracking up. Tell me I was just dreaming up that conversation and now I'm awake." Hermione said. The three were sitting in chairs, away from the rest of the Gryffindors. "Nope. That was as real as real can get." Harry said. "God, this is messed up." Ron said while he was looking at his mark on his hand. "I might do it. Think about it: Voldemort could strike Hogwarts and kill all of us, just because we didn't do this." Harry said. "Yeah, but we could die." Hermione said. "And the teachers could protect the school. Or you could defeat him, like all the other times." Ron said. "I'm gonna do it. I couldn't protect my parents when Voldemort attacked them; I'm not going to stand around and watch him destroy more lives. If I die, I die trying to help out." Harry said. "You're right. If you're going to do it, so will I." Ron said. "I need more time to think about it." Hermione said. "All right, see you at dinner." Ron said. Harry and Ron left her to think.  
"Excellent! You will both do it?" McGonagall said to them. Harry and Ron both went up to her and agreed to do it. "What about Hermione?" She asked. "She said she needed more time to think." Ron said. "No, I've decided. I'll do it." Hermione was standing behind them. She had just walked in. "Great. The three of you will come directly to the Hospital Wing after breakfast. I will talk to you teachers; otherwise, no one else can know about this. We need to keep it a secret. Don't tell anyone; not even close friends or relatives. You all may leave now, I'll see you tomorrow." McGonagall said.  
  
"I'm so nervous right now. What did we agree to do?!?" Hermione said at dinner. They were all eating a lot, after missing lunch. "I just keep thinking that it's for the greater good of the wizarding world. We could be the ones to stop Lord Voldemort once and for all." Ron said with a mouth full of baked potatoes. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I trust Dumbledore." Harry said. "He won't let us die on him, I know it." "I think it's kind of cool, we get to see us before we were really us. I bet you were still brainy in your past life." Ron said. "And I bet you were still a pain in the neck." Hermione retorted. Harry just rolled his eyes. He was glad that this wasn't going to change his friend's personalities. "But why us? None of us has really had any signs that we used to be dark wizards, right? I haven't." Hermione said. "Hermione, just enjoy the night. You don't need to think about all this now. Goof off. Hang out. Just have fun. You might not be able to do this for a long time. Don't be brainy for once." Harry said. "Yeah, just be a regular kid." Ron said. "You're right. I think I'll go for a broomstick ride, just for kicks." Hermione said getting up. "Yeah, let's go!" Ron said. The three looked at each other for a second. Then they ran out of the Great Hall.  
  
Harry was in his pajamas, just sitting in his bed and thinking. Ron had run off somewhere before, but he didn't Harry where. Harry was thinking about his parents and he was sort of preying. He was just nervous about tomorrow. He was contemplating everything in his life. He had gone to visit Hagrid before he came up, just to say hello. But Harry really just wanted to see him before tomorrow. In fact, the three of them were running around, wrapping up loose ends, just in case something happened. Hermione was writing a long letter to her parents; last time Harry checked it was a foot and a half long, and she writes really small. Harry spent a bit of time with the other Weasly brothers also. The door opened and Ron came in. "Hey, where did you run off to?" Harry said. "I wrote a letter to my parents, just saying hello." Ron said. "Trying to tie everything up before tomorrow?" Harry said. "Yeah, just in case, you know, something happens." He said. "I know, Hermione is doing the same thing. But nothing will happen." Harry said. "Yeah, nothing will happen." Harry said. "Well, good night." Ron said. "Good night." Harry said. He thought he would never get to sleep, but he fell asleep immediately.  
"Good, all of you are here." McGonagall said to the three when they walked into the Hospital Wing. It was right after breakfast; they would be getting their books right now. No one ate a thing at breakfast, they were too nervous. Professor McGonagall led the three to a room near the back of the Hospital Wing. They walked into the room and there were three beds; two gently simmering cauldrons were next to the window. Standing next to the cauldrons was Albus Dumbledore. "Hello Ron, Hermione, Harry. Just sit on the beds and we'll explain what will happen." Dumbledore said. The three climbed on the beds and sat. Hermione was shaking like mad. Ron was kinda pale, and Harry was worried, but he didn't show it. "All right, I'm sure you have all done things you needed to do? Does anyone want to do something before we begin?" Dumbledore said. They shook their heads. "Okay, when we give the potion, all of you will be in a very deep sleep. Your pulse will slow down, and your breathing will as well. You'll still be alive, of course, but your spirit will travel back in time, and will go into your past self. You will not be able to control the body, you will just see out the eyes, hear out of the ears and etc. The only way to return to the present is for one of us to give you another potion. If you try to escape otherwise, you might injure your past self, and if you die in the past, you will die in the present as well. When you return to the present, you will have all the memories intact. Don't be scared when you're past self dies, you can't be hurt. Does anyone have any questions?" Professor McGonagall said. "What will you tell our parents?" Hermione said. "If you're parents don't ask, don't tell them. If the Ministry hears about this, they could shut down Hogwarts, because this is very dangerous and the Ministry doesn't really approve." She said. "Ready?" Dumbledore said. They nodded. Dumbledore filled three wineglasses with the potion, it shimmered sliver. He handed one to each of them. "Toast. Good luck to all of you. For your past, present and future alike." Dumbledore said. "To our past, present and future alike." Harry, Hermione and Ron echoed. They drank. It was sweet and warm. They were all drowsy instantly. They lied down on the beds. Their eyes closed and their heartbeats slowed down. Their minds will filling with a slivery fog, and theirs spirit left them. Hermione opened her eyes, and whispered "My past, present and future alike." Her eyes closed again. The three were all asleep, their spirits gone. "Do you think they'll be okay?" McGonagall asked. "They are fighters, I know they'll be okay." He said.   
  
  
  



	2. Revert

LifeLines~ Part 2-Revert  
  
(Author's Note : Brushes Cheeto crumbs off her hands and takes a sip of Cherry Coke: Hey everybody. Part 2 of my fic, LifeLines. You gotta read part one of my fic, or you won't understand what's going on. Sorry if there are orange crumbs on my fic, I'm writing this while eating bowl after bowl of Cheetos and drinking Cherry Coke. Okay, you all have to understand something. I'm writing this while I post them. This isn't something I already finished writing. I write these whenever I get a chance, or when I come up with a brilliant idea. So, these may late by a few days. Anyway, enjoy and please read and rate.   
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series, one J.K Rowling thought them up. A big thanks to my friend, Jen. She's had to put up with my rambling, and hearing my ideas over and over. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Thanks a lot!   
(A/N Once Again; I forgot to mention, these things right here :::: mean that Harry/Ron/Hermione are talking inside their past selves. If you don't get it, go back and read LifeLines Part 1- Realization. Okay?   
  
It was just about twilight, and the woman just got up. She had been in training for most of the day before. Her hair was long, and it swished back and forth as she walked around the apartment. She had graduated from Hogwarts almost 5 years ago. She hadn't spoken to her parents in that long. But she had to cease contact with them. They were keeping her from her true purpose in life. They worked at the Ministry, and she ran away to go through with her training. Her training was to begin again, tonight. Training for what? She was training to be a dark witch, under the careful watch of Lord Voldemort himself. She had been brainwashed by him; she seemed promising when she left Hogwarts. She wasn't in Slytherin, but he had thought she would be useful for his mission.   
: Huh? Where am I? Let me out! Let me out! Let me go!:  
Hermione didn't know where she was. It seemed like she was in a dark room. She walked around, trying to find a door. There wasn't one anywhere. But there was something like a large window, right in front of her.  
:Oh yeah, the potion. I guess it worked well. Hmm, so this must be Cassandra. Well, might as well keep a watch that's what I'm here for.:  
Cassandra walked over to a mirror; she tried to fix her long hair. Hermione was able to get a good look at her past self. Cassandra had long, long dark brown hair. She had pale skin and eyes the color of ghosts, gray, and almost transparent. Hermione stared.  
: That used to be me? Wow, she's pretty, in a haunting sort of way anyway.:   
The mirror rippled, and a shadow came into view. Cassandra bowed. "What are your needs, oh master?" She said. "You must come to your training at once, we are running out of time." The shadow said. "Yes, oh great Lord Voldemort, what ever you say." She said in monotone. The mirror became clear once again, and her refection could be seen. Cassandra sighed and apparated out of her apartment to go to her training. Hermione could tell she had gotten into more than she asked for.  
  
Harry had gotten a rude awakening as well. When he came to; inside his past self, his past self was trying to bring others over to the dark side. He wasn't using brainwashing, but he was just trying to lure them over. Bring more wizards over. Most of them came willingly. Some of them were captured, and brought over. They had been in Hogwarts, Durmsbrang, and other wizarding schools. They were all foolish and young, but they were promising.  
: Where am I? Oh yeah, I'm in the past. What's going on? Oh no. This does not look good, not good at all.: He thought.  
"So, you all think you would never want to be on our side. Very good. But, if you need, shall we say, further encouragement, I will ask you this. Most of the wizarding population is what they call the "good side". Most of you here claim to be on that side. But did being good ever get you? No. It got you right here, at our mercy. The ones who get all mushy and sentimental over all those other ideals: love, goodness, kindness; they are weak. Those were made for the weak, the ones who can't handle power. You have to be strong, and you can go anywhere. The strong are the ones who can survive, the ones who can resist those other pitiful ideals. And you all want to be strong, don't you? I know. You all want to be leaders, the ones who aren't hunted by the strong, like us. You all want power." Jonathan said. "For now, we are setting out to find the strongest of all those other wizards. We are trying to find the ones who are strong enough to handle these ideals that we uphold. We are trying to create a strong empire. No more of these weaklings crawling around. The Ministry is trying to stop us, thinking that their way of life is the best. It isn't. Look at them. We are far more powerful then they are; and we are stronger because we don't have to succumb to those ideals. We were blessed with power, because we were smarter not to fall for all those other things. The Ministry will never stop us. No one will get in our way. " He glared at all of them and chuckled at the terrified faces. Some of the wizards and witches listening were terrified. But most of them thought what he was saying were true. Being kind didn't get them anywhere. It wouldn't hurt to give being on the other side a chance.  
  
: What? Those things aren't true! What are you saying? You can be strong without being evil! You can have power and have love! You don't have to be evil! You can still be good and not have to resort to evil methods!: Harry was yelling. All those harsh words were stabbing him.   
  
"Being on our side, you will have to learn what we all know now. You will serve Lord Voldemort and Lord Voldemort only. You will learn far more advanced magic then any of you will ever encounter. You will have to cease contact will all family and you will all do what you are told. And, if any of you betray the Dark Arts-" Jonathan was cut off. A wizard had managed to escape from his confinement and was crawling to the door. He picked up his wand and whispered a curse. Instantly, he screamed and fell towards the ground. "Death will be your payment to escape the Dark Arts. Am I clear?" He said. His eyes flashed with Dark power, a period to his harsh words. Everyone quickly nodded. It was an impulse.  
  
Ron was watching all those harsh words that Jonathan was saying to them. He was one of the captured wizards. He winced as he watch all those fools believing in what Jonathan was saying. His past self was nodding, soaking in all the words Ron hated. Ron was appalled that he used to believe such silly things. He was lead out of the room with the other wizards, and Jonathan followed. He went around and took down names. "Name?" He asked. "Stephen Richardson." Stephen said. Jonathan lined them up, and he faced them. He pointed his wand and shouted a curse. Stephen's mind was wiped clean like a tabletop, and was replaced with all the harsh words that Jonathan had said earlier. Stephen was taken to another room, and he was given his wand back. The door closed behind him. He was left all alone. Jonathan appeared in front of him. "You seem very promising. I gauged your magic before. Your training will begin-" A large book appeared in front of them. "Now."  
  
Cassandra had apparated to another part of the Dark Arts wing. There were different wings of dark magic everywhere. One was the wing that brainwashed and trained new recruits to be Dark wizards. One was full of wizards that were trying to figure out what the Ministry of would do next. They were the ones that had the spies, to make sure they were one step ahead of Ministry. One was the wing that had a tab on all the Dark wizards, to make sure that they wouldn't try to run away. One was the wing that made created more curses for the Dark wizards to do. There were many other wings, far more then the Ministry would ever get a hold of. But there was one in particular that was the most powerful. The wing that served Lord Voldemort. That's where Cassandra was. She went to the nearest portkey, a potted plant. She touched it, and she was apparated off to somewhere else. "Cassandra." It was one of the other witches, Cassandra knew her by sight, but didn't know her name. "Come with me." She said briskly. Cassandra followed, wondering what it would be this time. Yesterday, she was forced to face dragon after dragon, to hone her skills under pressure. 2 hours and five dead dragons later, she was allowed to leave and go back to her apartment. The witch shoved Cassandra in a room and slammed the door shut. It was pitch black. Cassandra held her wand up defensively. In her fear, she had forgotten the Lumos charm, the one that would provide her with light. Something lunged at her and grabbed her shoulder. Cassandra screamed and flung out hexes in all directions. She heard a thud. Something had been hit. Something tackled her and she slid on the floor. She flung out a hex and something hit the floor. Something grabbed her from behind; she elbowed it, and flung out a curse. It fell against her and she yelled and shoved it off her. She heard footsteps and flung out a hex. The lights suddenly came on, her hex hit the thing making the sound and it fell to the floor. It was a person. She glanced around. There were 5 dead people on the floor. Her hand flew to her mouth, and she stifled a scream.   
: My god. My god! What happened? What did I do? I did this? Get a grip Hermione. This was your past self. But it was still me.: Hermione was shocked to see what she used to do. Hermione was close to throwing up.  
Clapping. Someone was clapping. Cassandra looked around in all directions. No one was there. "Very good. Very good. You did very good." Cassandra recognized the voice. She bowed. "Thank you, Lord Voldemort." The voice was coming from all directions. "You did very good tonight, but you are lacking something. You should show no remorse. Remorse is for the weak." Cassandra cringed. 'Remorse is for the weak' That was repeated to her, over and over again, when she couldn't kill a furry animal that looked oddly enough like her faithful pet dog without crying. "I am sorry, my Lord." Cassandra said. "You were lucky tonight." Lord Voldemort said. The 5 people who were lying on the floor turned into five pairs of socks. "This was just a practice. These are just pairs of socks." A pair flew into her hands. "Next time, it'll be the real thing."  
  
The book flew open in front of Stephen. It shook and a beam of light flew from the book into his head. Stephen screamed and tried to run, but he was paralyzed. All the things he was absorbing were Dark curses, hexes and different potions. The light stopped and he fell to the floor. "Get up." Jonathan barked at him. Stephen groaned and tried to. He was in too much pain. He struggled and finally got up. "Why are you doing this? I thought we learned the charms ourselves." Stephen said. "Well, we're in a tight spot right now. We need as many wizards and witches as we can get. Lord Voldemort wants us to launch an attack on the Ministry in a few days." Jonathan answered. "Come on, it's on to the next phase." He said. Stephen walked to the next room. He walked in, and the door slammed shut. Jonathan disappeared. Stephen was still a little dizzy from the spells crammed in his brain. He regained his balance and waited for whatever would pop out. A blur of black appeared out of nowhere. It ran around him and then, there was two. A few more appeared until he was surrounded. Stephen stayed still. Then he flung out as many hexes as he knew. The black things all yelled and some of them fell to the floor. Fire flew out his wand and he waved it around. Some of them yelped and jumped backed. Stephen didn't know what he was doing anymore. Something came over him, and he lost all control. Ice spewed out his wand and some of them were made into blocks of ice. The shadows were all yelping and screaming. Then, silence. "You may leave." A voice said out of nowhere. The room around him disappeared and he was back in his apartment.  
  



	3. Revelation

  
  
LifeLines~Part3-Revelations  
(Author's Note: Hey everyone. Jessica here. Next installment of LifeLines. School started already, so the updates may be far apart. (My teachers are piling on the honors homework.) Probably from Part 3on will be a PG-13 series. The next parts will be really kind of dark, and a lot of backstabbing will be going on. Part 4 especially. I'm rushing on this part. Part 4 is a turning point: A major one. Read, relish and enjoy. Read and rate. If I don't get a lot of reviews, none of you will ever find out how it ends! I'll hex all of you! I need constructive criticism people!)  
(A/N Once Again: My editor, Jen isn't going to be previewing this part this time. I have to admit this one will probably be the crappiest of all the parts to LifeLines. But it's still an important chapter.  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter characters, I just use them to satisfy my writing needs. They belong to .J.K Rowling. I own the other characters, yada yada yada. Plot's mine, the way the Dark Arts run in my stories are strictly mine. The Dark Arts may run different in the series.   
  
Meanwhile, back at Hogwarts.  
The three had been asleep for two days. Besides the teachers and Dumbledore, the only people who knew what was going on were Ginny, Fred and George. They were all mad that they hadn't told them sooner, but McGonagall apologized. Dumbledore and McGonagall stopped by everyday to check in on the three. They were usually quiet. The bronze potion was faithfully simmering gently, waiting for Dumbledore to give it to the three and bring them back to the land of the living.  
  
Jonathan had always been bitter against the Dark Arts. In particular, the other wizards that thought they were so much better then he was. But, he could never leave. He would be killed. Besides, he had nowhere to go. Jonathan had lots of people higher in ranks than he was. He was only a brainwasher. He had thought once he had a lot of power. He was told he had amazing amounts of Dark power. But they disappeared whenever he really needed to use it. One of the other wizards that really ticked him off was one guy named Doug. He was working with Lord Voldemort himself. The only time Jonathan ever spoke to Lord Voldemort was when he was in training, he had watched him, and he had made the appropriate comments to him. "So, Johnny. How many brains have you washed today, hmm? " The same sneer and the same ice cold voice reached Jonathan's ears. "Get lost. I'm in no mood for your bull right now." Jonathan said as he turned to walk away. "What, afraid the Voldemort is gonna lose you when the attacks start?" He said. "You know, he's gonna take all the losers off his army, and he's going to kill them, just so that his strongest survive." Jonathan stopped walking. He narrowed his eyes. "And what makes you think I'm gonna get cut? I'm as strong as any other one of his wizards." He sneered. "Sure you are. I can imagine it now. He'll call you to his chamber; them finish you off with a curse. You'll get dumped into a fire, so no one will ever suspect that he's killing off his own. You're a loser, and you'll always be a loser. Everyone knows that." Doug sneered. Jonathan was slowly boiling inside. He closed his eyes. He opened them again. And he turned around. "Say it again. Come on. I dare you to say it again." He said. "You're nothing, You're a waste of flesh! You'll die a death and no one will even give a damn!" Doug said. He never noticed that Jonathan's eyes were slowly turning a deep red. Doug looked him in the eyes and paled. Jonathan looked him in the eyes. Doug opened his mouth to scream but Jonathan had cut off his voice. He tried to reach for his wand, to defend himself, but his wand flew across the hall and hit a wall. "Die." Jonathan said. Doug dropped to the ground. His heart was slowing down and his brain felt like it was on fire. He cried silent screams. His brain combusted inside his head and he died. Blood seeped out of his ears. Jonathan returned to normal, his eyes the regular brown. He gaped at the sight on the ground. He was amazed. He hadn't picked up his wand once. He looked around nervously, seeing if anyone had been watching. He ran back to his place.  
  
Another day, another summons. Cassandra was still weary of what happened last night, but she was still determined to please her lord. She walked over to her same Portkey, and touched it. She was teleported to a dark room. She held up her wand, and she remembered the Lumos charm this time. "Cassandra Livingston." It was a statement, not a question. Candles all lit, in a circle around her. Cassandra gasped. There were black candles all around the room, different shapes, sizes, and they were all on black stands. "Do you know who I am?" The voice said. Cassandra realized who it was. "What is your need, Lord Voldemort?" She asked. "Sit." A chair appeared to the right of her. She nervously sat down. "Do you know these people?" He asked. A picture materialized in her hands. She looked it over. It was a picture. Different wizards all talking, laughing and dancing. They were all Ministry wizards, the ones working on bringing down the Dark Arts for once and for all. The thing that got to her: In the very corner, she could be seen. She was younger, wearing a dress and drinking punch. "I need you for a mission. I am planning to attack in a few days. Some of the wizards in this picture may have knowledge at what's going on. I need you to kill these wizards." A red circle, like it was being drawn on, was appearing on the picture. "There is going to be a large party tonight, half the Ministry will be there. I need you to attack. Of course, if you succeed, you will be rewarded for your effort. If you fail, you will suffer the consequences." He said. "Will I be working alone?" Cassandra asked. "I think you should be able to handle it, don't you? It's only a few wizards, you can handle it." He said. Cassandra's wand flew out of her pocket and disappeared into the shadows. "I am going to make an adjustment to your wand. I put a silencer charm on it, and a charm so when you cast a curse, no light will come out of it." The wand landed in Cassandra's hands. "I trust you know how to handle this?" "Yes, Lord Voldemort. I will not fail." She said. "Good, here is the map. You may leave now." A map appeared in her hands and the flames grew higher in the candleholders. They were engulfed in flames. Then they went out and lights came on. Cassandra walked out of the chamber and went to the nearest portkey. She touched it and found herself back at her apartment. She ran into her apartment and gathered her things to ambush the Party.   
: You can't do those things! You can't! Why would you kill them anyway? Hermione was screaming. : It's your past self-Hermione. You can't do anything about it.: She told herself.  
  
Stephen's head was still pounding from the spells crammed in his head. He was lying in his bed, at his apartment. He was still wearing his blood stained robes. His windows were all closed and the blinds were drawn. He just wanted sleep; Lord Voldemort would be after him in a few hours for training. He was still mulling over all the new things he had learned the day before. 'Love is for the weak. Compassion is what keeps you from gaining true power.' He remembered these things. They were true. His foggy mind knew it was true. But, in the back of his mind, there was a little voice telling him that they were wrong. It was Ron.  
: Those things aren't true! They aren't true at all! Are you an idiot? Get out now! Run away! Go! Escape! : Ron was screaming at himself. He didn't want to be here anymore, the Dark Arts were hurting him. He couldn't believe that he could believe this stuff.  
  
He ignored it, and tried to get some sleep. SMACK! Something crashed into his window. Stephen ignored it and went back to sleep. SMACK! SMACK! He cursed and went to his windows. He drew the blinds and the light blinded him. "Ouch." He rubbed his eyes. He opened the windows. Something feathery flew into his apartment, dive bomb style. It crashed into a wall. Stephen was disoriented for a moment. He realized what it was. "Lightning!" He said. It was his faithful owl. He had realized that his owl didn't know where he had gone after he was captured. He walked over to his owl. He picked it up and put it on his pillow. It looked absolutely exhausted. He took the letter from its talons. It was a little crumpled, but it was fine. He sat on his bed and opened it. It was a letter, and a photograph. The photograph fell to the floor.   
Stephen-  
Where are you? You were supposed to come back home this weekend! Alison was waiting for you. You probably just forgot. We found a nice photograph, just so you won't be lonely if you are traveling. Everything is fine here, and I hope you are well. Take care. We'll see you soon. ~~Mom  
The photograph was a wizard photograph. His family was all smiling and waving at him. He remembered that day like it was just yesterday. They were having a picnic, a family reunion. It was a bright sunny day and everyone had shown up. Everyone needed to be still for just 2 minutes. He had enjoyed himself that day. But that was yesterday. Look at where he was today. In the Dark Arts, with nowhere to go. He was trapped in a web, like a fly. He tore the letter. The pieces fell to the floor. His new mind told him not to answer back to her; he was with a stronger family now. He went to tear the picture apart. But he could not get himself to actually do it. He took the picture and placed it on the table. His owl was moved to sit on a pillow on the couch. Stephen crawled back into bed and fell asleep.  
  
Jonathan was amazed at his newfound strength. He wasn't one of the best wizards in the Dark Arts. The only thing that kept him from getting killed was his ability to brainwash people. One thing he knew is that this could be his ticket to getting higher in the Dark Arts, maybe even running the place. He went over to another part of the Dark Art wings. He needed to get rid of some of the compition. He had brewed up a clear potion and added it to the coffee there. Anyone who drank it would be considerably weak. He chuckled as he walked back to his wing. If the right wizards drank it, he would be on his way to getting up the Dark Arts ladder. As he was walking, he ran into another wizard, a friend of Doug, his first victim. He was one of the commanders of a wizard army. "I know what you did. I know who you killed." He said. He picked up his wand. Jonathan's eyes started glowing bright red again. He knew that he needed to get rid of him, he was an enemy. He turned around to face him. He drilled into his eyes with his gaze and was paralyzed with fear. The other wizard raised his wand, but Jonathan made it fly out of his hands and stick into the wall. He screamed, but was quickly silenced. Jonathan was being taken over with a Dark force; he always had it in him, but he could never get it to come about when he needed it. He couldn't control it anymore. The wizard screamed as his heart was slowly burning in ashes. It was actually on fire. H e fell to the ground. All around the Dark Arts wing the two were in, wizards and witches were withering to the ground, the same exact thing happening to them that was happening to the wizard that had made Jonathan mad. They were all screaming and no one knew how to reverse it. Jonathan snapped out of it and looked around. He wondered if anyone knew it was he.  
  
"That fool! He's killed almost half of my wizard army!" An angry Lord Voldemort shouted. He was watching as one by one some of his most promising wizards and witches. "Damn it! What the hell does he think he's doing? Does he want to get us killed?" He shouted. He waved his wand. Jonathan suddenly appeared, he had been in the hall just a second ago. He looked around. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you realize that you have killed almost half my army?" Voldemort snarled. "I have a proposition for you: How about we fight, right here, right now? Winner takes all: they control the Dark Arts and they live to see another day. The loser dies." Jonathan said. He finally had a grip on the Dark power, which had stayed hidden for so long. He had a sense of power running through his veins, he felt as if nothing could stop him. "You want to waste my time? Be my guest. It's your life. Winner shall reign over the Darks Arts; the loser shall pay with their life." Voldemort said. He stepped off his chair and jumped to the ground. The black candles all around formed into pillars of black fire. The only way to be able to get out was turned into a wall of fire. There was no way to escape. Jonathan reached down inside and got a grip on his Dark power. His eyes turned a shade of Dark black/red. He gripped his wand.  
"Let the battle begin."  
  
  
  



	4. Regrets

LifeLines~Part4- Regrets  
  
(Author's Note: :Slinks in: Alright, I know this is really, really late, but it's here, okay? I finally wrote it, and I'll try to get 5 out as fast as I can. If you cannot deal with death, please press the back page button on your browser. PG-13 for obvious reasons. Only a few more parts after this, and this series is done. I know, I forgot to add in Ron/Harry/Hermione's POVs in the last part, so I'll try to remember them here. Hey, give me a little credit, I'm a first time series writer! Anyway, just hear me out on this: The whole reason for H/H/R to be there is to watch their past selves, sometimes they just are at a loss for words. Please review, I need to know if my series is any good! If you don't review, I'll fling paper clips at your head!)  
(A/N Once Again: A big thanks to warprince, he convinced me to actually finish the fic, and he helped me sort out my twisted plot lines. Thanks!)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series, I just use them to practice my writing skills on. J.K Rowling made up the Harry Potter series. Plot is mine; past names are mine, and the way the Dark Arts are run is mine. Basically, anything that isn't mentioned in the books is mine.   
  
Cassandra shivered as she walked up to the fancy party the Ministry of Magic was holding. Her job, given to her by Lord Voldemort was to kill certain members of the Ministry. She was not looking forward to this because she knew practically everyone there. Her parents were working at the Ministry, and they always took her to these parties. It seemed like a century ago, she hadn't spoken to her parents ever since she left to train for the Dark Arts. But it had to be done; she would not disobey her Lord.   
  
She had on dark black robe, a loop for her wand and a pocket with the map and photograph crammed in. She shivered again and hid behind a tree. Sure enough, there was wizard guards posted outside the building. "There must be some important wizards there." She said to herself. She aimed her wand and fired curses at them. They fell to the ground. Cassandra ran by, firing curses in all directions at guards. She found where the party was being held and peeped inside. There was a bunch of wizards and witches standing around, chatting and eating sandwiches and having drinks. On the ceiling was a large glass dome, where the stars and full moon could be seen. She apparated to the roof and walked over to the dome, where she had a bird's eye view. She lay flat on her stomach and made a tiny hole in the glass, a hole only large enough for her wand to fit. She took out her picture and started to pick out the victims she needed.  
Hermione was angry with herself. She couldn't believe the type of things she used to do. : What did I do to have to stoop to this level? Where did I screw up in my past life? At least I'm not like that now.: She said.   
  
Cassandra eyes were looking back and forth, from the picture to the glass dome and the party below. : I don't   
even want to think what's going to happen next. This is not looking good at all. When am I going to be able to return to the land of the living? We need to stop Voldemort, and I know he's going to do something, and I'll still be asleep.: Hermione looked at the party. :That party looks like a lot of fun. Look, that poor woman sitting in a couch is crying. I wonder why.:  
"Amy, what's the matter?" A man holding two cups of punch and a napkin asked the sobbing woman sitting on a couch. She sniffled and looked up. It was only her husband. "Oh Brian, I just remembered. Cassandra used to like these parties, remember? We would always pick her out a pretty dress, she would get her hair done... Now we don't even know where she is! We don't know even know if she's alive. She might be dead, lying in a ditch somewhere, dying on some hard floor, without us to say good-bye to her!" She said shakily. Then she burst into fresh tears. He put down their drinks and handed his wife the napkin he was holding.   
  
" Shh, don't worry. I know she's okay, Cassandra was always a fighter. She wanted to leave, it was her decision to go. She's a strong girl, she will survive. Before you know it, we'll see her again, and everything will turn out all right. You'll see."  
  
  
***  
  
Stephen woke up again, not because he was summoned, but because he had had more than enough sleep. His owl was hopping around, fully recovered from his collision with the wall. He walked over to pet it and give it a treat. "Want to fly around outside for a while?" He asked Lightning. The owl nodded the way only an owl can, so Stephen walked over to draw the blinds and open the door to the balcony.   
The owl flew out and soared into the night.   
Stephen lingered and stood out in the cold, just   
looking at the sky. The sky was dark, it glittered with stars and the moon hung full in the sky. He was staying in an apartment building not too far away from one of the Dark wings. It was a building that held all the new wizard recruits, to make sure they didn't escape. He walked back inside and looked at the clock. It was almost 11. "I wonder what's taking so long. Maybe he forgot I need more training. It doesn't matter, I'm ready whenever he needs me." He said. He flicked on a light and poured a cup of coffee.   
  
The light fell on the photograph that he got earlier. He walked over and picked it up. "My family. What about my family?" He said out loud. 'Love is for the weak.' It echoed in his mind. 'The ones who love are weak they don't deserve power. The strong don't love; they are the ones who truly deserve power.' It echoed in the back of his mind. The brainwashing was echoing. "No, I have people who really love me. I'm strong!" He said. 'No, the ones who love are weak! You must be strong, or you will be killed.' "No, I won't be killed! And I will go home!" He yelled.   
  
'No, you will stay with the Dark Arts.' It was fighting with him, like a demon had gone into him   
and was controlling his actions. "No, I'm not weak!" He yelled. He finally realized what he had to do. He had to leave, and go home.   
  
  
***  
  
: What the hell just happened? I'll get killed! : Harry was actually going to see if he would be   
  
able to fight Voldemort. He touched the scar on his forehead and felt a little pain, but not like the one he had felt in his other battles. : I guess it's because Voldemort hasn't attacked my parents yet. That's why my scar doesn't hurt. : He watched, as he was fighting Voldemort once again.  
Lord Voldemort fired the first shot. It was a shot of Dark Power. Jonathan jumped into the air, and aimed his wand. A Dark power shot out of it and hit Voldemort. It stopped him momentarily, frozen in place. Jonathan aimed again, but Voldemort turned around and aimed at him. Black fire emerged from the ground and engulfed Jonathan in flames. He screamed and aimed his wand to put it out. It was eating through magical shields he had put up. He pointed down at his feet and mumbled a counter--curse. It was extinguished. He aimed a shot at Voldemort and bright energy exploded out of his wand. Voldemort fell.   
  
Jonathan was getting ready to yell the final curse, but Voldemort pointed his wand. A blast   
came out of nowhere and Jonathan strengthened his magical shields again. Voldemort had a split second to recover and he stood back up. The fight continued.  
  
  
***  
  
  
Cassandra took out the photograph and held it in her trembling hands. The hole in the glass was cut, the victims found and marked in her mind's eye. She took a deep breath. Then she fit the wand into the hole in the glass and fired the first shot. It hit the punch bowl and exploded. The nearby witch, the real victim, screamed and jumped back. Cassandra fired again and it hit her in the back. She stumbled and fell.   
  
Cassandra aimed once again, and this time, an elderly wizard fell. That was it. Everyone began running; guards for the Ministry began looking where the shot were being fired. Cassandra aimed her wand at the doors and they slammed shut. Different wizards began taking out their wands and aiming it at the door. Fire, lightning and other natural disasters exploded when they hit the door, but nothing happened. They were trapped. Cassandra fired shot after shot, sometimes getting her target, but sometimes missing and hitting, several items around the room, like a potted plant. Countless wizards tried to apparate out, but the Ministry had put a charm on the whole hall, so no intruders could come in.  
"What's going on?" Amy Livingston said. She dried her tears on her napkin and gasped as the first shot came flying by her. It hit the punch bowl she was near and it shattered into pieces. She screamed and ran to the other side of the room. More shots began firing. A wizard fell right near her. "Brian!" Amy yelled. He was near the door, trying to hex it open. "Come on, we have to get out of here!" He yelled. "Look, up there!" Someone else said. Everyone looked up.   
  
There she was, firing shots, lying on her stomach, aiming at the Ministry wizards. Brian Livingston aimed his wand and fired a single shot. It hit the glass and the whole glass ceiling shattered. Wizards and witches pointed their wands skyward and put a shield up for themselves to shield themselves from the glass. Cassandra fell, and hit the floor with a sickening thud.   
  
  
***  
  
  
A piercing shriek filled the halls of Hogwarts. It was a single scream, and it was coming from the Hospital Wing. Albus Dumbledore dropped the file he was holding, and ran to the Hospital Wing. Minevera McGonagall excused her third years and ran, robes flapping and sprinted to the Hospital Wing. They ran into the room where the three had been staying. Hermione was screaming, after being silent for so long. Dumbledore grabbed the glass and quickly got some of the potion that was in a simmering cauldron. He handed it to McGonagall, and she poured it into Hermione's mouth. She stopped screaming and she fell back onto the bed. "Dear God, I hope we're not too late. We need to get these three back here as soon as possible, Voldemort's attacks are nearing Hogwarts." McGonagall said while clutching the empty glass. "No, I know they'll all come back. They survived one lifetime. I know they're going to be around for this one."   
  
  
***  
  
  
Cassandra groaned and turned over. The fall had broken her leg and pain was shooting towards her head. Blood was beginning to drip onto the white marble floor. Stars swam in front of her eyes, and all she could hear was the wizards crowding nearby. "Oh my God!" A woman shrieked. Cassandra squinted and tried to see who it was. She tried to pick her head up, but it was too painful. The woman kneeled next to her, and Cassandra knew who it was.  
  
Her mother!  
  
" Cassandra! No! Dear God, please let it be all a dream! My baby girl...! Amy said to her dying daughter. Tears were streaming down her face. She stroked her daughters hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Cassandra, I'm sorry..." Her words couldn't be heard anymore as she broke down into tears again. Her tears were mixing with the blood on the floor.   
  
"No, Mom, I'm sorry. I should have stayed home, I never should have left." Cassandra said,   
  
tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry I put you through all this pain. I'm sorry. I deserve to die..." Cassandra said.   
  
Amy's head jerked up. "No! I won't let you die! I can't let you die, you're my daughter. I can't."   
She cried out.   
  
Cassandra struggled to breathe, her vision was clouding. "No, Voldemort will come after you   
too, he won't give up until myself, and everyone I love are dead."   
  
" I killed you, my God, I killed my daughter..." Amy whispered.   
"No Mom, I was dead before. If I had stayed with Voldemort, it was a death wish. He would have killed me anyway. At least now, I can say goodbye." Cassandra whispered.   
  
"Remember this, I love you.' Amy said. She kissed Cassandra on her forehead. "I love you too   
Mom..." Cassandra said as her eyes closed. Her mother stayed silent for a minute, while the realization sunk in. Then, she let out one final scream and broke into harsh tears. Her daughter was dead...   
  
  
***  
  
  
Sweat dripped off Jonathan's face and he jumped another bolt of energy. He fired another bolt himself, but Voldemort had managed to dodge it. Jonathan fired another one, but not before Voldemort had fired one. Jonathan fell to the ground as Voldemort walked over in heavy steps. Jonathan was frozen in place.   
  
"Expellaramus!" Cried Voldemort in a victorious manner. Jonathan's wand flew out of his frozen hand and into Voldemort's. "You are a fool. A God damn fool. Did you ever think you would be able to escape? Only the strong survive in the Dark Arts. And you are a weak fool. Remember what you always say? "Death is your payment out of the Dark Arts." Well, now you eat your words." Voldemort said. He aimed his wand. Jonathan gathered up all his strength and broke out of the curse. He used his magic to call the wand back to him and he blasted Voldemort against the wall.  
  
Voldemort was frozen in place for a split second and then slid to the ground. The door was open. In that split second Voldemort was on the ground, he had accidentally let up the barrier. Jonathan's eyes went back and forth to the door and to Voldemort. He debated whether he should stay and fight, or run. Should he just suck it in and fight? Or should he take his chances and run?   
There was a pretty good chance he could be killed either way. He didn't care if he would be mocked at if her lived. He didn't care if he would have to be on the run. The powerful would become the prey.  
  
He ran.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
